contracts and changes

I was contracted by a person who has parties on their boat. They wanted me for an hour, which is fine, but when I got the contract it was for 2 hours. The lady explained that the ride was 2 hours and I was to be the entertainment along with a magician for the second half of the ride. I told her if I have to be on the boat for 2 hours I need some kind of payment for my time. Since most of the kids will be coming in costume she said she would keep that in mind for when she starts up again in the spring. Was I wrong?

Do you know how many kids? I would have asked for 2 hours too, and maybe there would have been enough kids to stretch it out anyway. How many kids can you usually paint in an hour?

If I am doing full faces I can do 7 to 10 depending on the design. Cheek art; 15 or so. The thing is that when I was done, it's not like I could go home, and I actually have another job booked that day that I scheduled for later on. I don't want to turn down work I could be getting paid for because I am on a boat not getting paid.

something like that, I'd charge at my discretion.......

so no, you're not wrong. but it was wrong to not give her a definitive price for the second hour-you pretty much left it in the air-she might assume you meant you wanted pay for 2 hours-do you?

i wouldn't mind being paid a higher rate and only working the agreed hour, while relaxing the other hour til the ride ended.

i also wouldn't mind skipping this gig and doing the gig i already booked and enjoying the rest of my day.

i also wouldn't mind working both gigs at the regular rate and kicking back that extra hour on the boat even if i'm not being paid.

i WOULD mind turning down work for a gig on a boat that i didn't recieve a deposit for.

you bring up some good points. Thanks.

No - you are NOT wrong - you are captive! I would definitely have charged full price for the two hours and explained why she should just allow you to paint the entire time (since she’d be paying you anyway). Kids can get more than their face painted, they can have their arms done, etc. and you could paint adults. She may not have considered the benefits of that - I highly doubt the magician has agreed ot being paid for just one hour.

Now if they include a nice dinner and drinks, that’s a totally different story altogether!

Hmm, I look at it the same way as I do when charging a travel fee for out of town bookings. I don't think I'm alone when I say that 90% or more of my Face Painting income (my only income) comes on Saturdays. I book back to back events when possible, so if I'm spending an hour in a car, I'm not making that money at another event I could be working, therefore I charge my hourly rate for any time spent traveling beyond 30 minutes total. (I figure I spend 15 minutes there and 15 minutes back to most events around town, so I give 30 minutes of the RT travel for free and charge for the rest...tangent).

So yes, I think you should be compensated for your time if it means missing out on other potential work. If it was a last minute booking, you didn't have anything else to do, and you enjoy a pleasure cruise on a yacht, then go for it! But you definitely have the right to compensation for the time you cannot spend working another event because you are on their boat ride.

The other thing I would consider in these kind of situations are the potential clients that would be guests at a party who could afford to book a yacht for their kids. Face painting is a luxury item, so advertising your amazing skills to a circle of folks who can most likely afford you may well be worth it. You never know what kind of high society functions you might get hired for after a cruise.

Lol, on a side note, I did a princess party for a 3 year old at the yacht club in my town. Fully catered, and butler-ed event, professional decorating, the works for 10 preschoolers. In fact, the table I sat at to paint the children was located under the SAME EXACT arch I rented and stood under at my wedding! I guarantee they paid more for that three year old's birthday than I did for my entire wedding. I also made a $65 tip at that event.....just something to keep in mind when clients have moo-la and can afford cruises for their kids:D

In the future, have a two hr. minimum. That's what I do, because I don't want to go anywhere for one hour. If you only do an hour, you have driving, gas, setup, breakdown and cleaning your paints etc when you get home. It's not worth it. Just tell her you have to get 2 hrs and will paint the whole two hours. When I do a two hr. party with not too many kids, I paint more elaborate faces, or have time to add gems or I start painting their arms, legs or hands when I'm done with faces or, lastly, I start painting any adults that want it too. No one ever complained about my 2 hr minimum - a few have said "but I just have 8 kids"...I go "Sorry, I have a minimum, but with just 8 kids I can REALLY do them up fabulous in 2 hrs and paint you and your friends too!!". I charge $80 hr, with the minimum it means every party is at least $160. That makes it worth going out.

There is still soooo much for me to learn. This is a great forum. Thanks all.

I agree 100% with Tina. I offer a facepaint/glitter tattoo combo for parties with 10 or fewer children but won’t do any party for shorter than 2 hrs.